INFLAMMATORY PSEUDOTUMOR (PLASMA-CELL GRANULOMA) OF THE HEART - REPORT OF 2 CASES AND LITERATURE-REVIEW

We report pathologic findings in two patients with inflammatory pseudo tumor of the heart. The first patient was a 15-year-old boy who died s uddenly and unexpectedly of myocardial ischemia caused by an angiocent ric inflammatory pseudotumor affecting all of the major coronary arter ies and some of their branches. Inflammatory pseudotumor was also cent ered around some intrasplenic arteries. The second patient was a 5-mon th-old girl who had subtotal resection of a mass in the right atrial f ree wall. Her inflammatory pseudotumor was confined to the myocardium and showed no angiocentricity. The patient is doing well 22 months aft er surgery. Inflammatory pseudotumor is a benign inflammatory response evoked by an unknown agent(s). In both patients, the inflammatory cel ls comprised a mixture of B and T lymphocytes. Among B cells, a mixtur e of kappa and lambda plasma cells was evident. A moderate number of t issue macrophages was also observed. The process is usually self-limit ed but may cause death if vital structures are involved.